Drunk with a firearm

RISKY BUSINESS: Drivers might "deeply regret" getting into their vehicle when drunk - especially when they see the flashing lights. PHOTO/FILE

An intoxicated man with a rifle, whose hunger got the better of him, was one of three drink-drivers who faced the judge in court this week.

Johnathan Steven Newcombe, 27, Featherston, was driving on Western Lake Rd on March 8 when he veered into a roadside bank.

Police found he had a breath alcohol reading of 888mcg of alcohol per litre of breath, more than three times the legal limit of 250mcg.

A .22 Marlin rifle was found in his car.

Newcombe, a dairy farmer, appeared in Masterton District Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to drink driving and possessing a firearm while intoxicated.

Counsel, Ian Hard, said his client had had a "few drinks" and had gone out to get some food. Newcombe had no prior history. "It was an error of judgment."

Mr Hard said that, at first glance, the firearm charge might have appeared serious but there were strong mitigating factors. "He'd been for a hunt earlier in the day, when he was using the gun he had not been drinking alcohol.

"The gun was simply in the car at the time."

Judge Barbara Morris said the gun was on the seat of the car.

"There is no suggestion that the gun was there for anything other than legitimate purposes."

She said it was still never a good idea to have a gun in the presence of alcohol and he was well over double the legal limit.

"You were running off to try and get some assistance with your car which had gone off into a roadside bank."

She said it was "fraught with difficulty and fraught with danger" to drive with that amount of alcohol in his system.

On the drink-driving charge, she fined him $700, $130 in court costs and disqualified him from driving for seven months.

On the firearms charge, she ordered no sentence.

A 29-year-old Carterton man was also convicted of drink-driving, with more than 1000mcg of alcohol per litre of breath.

Tony Andrew Shepherd, a vineyard supervisor, pleaded guilty to driving on Lincoln Rd in Carterton with excess breath alcohol on February 20.

His lawyer, Virginia Pearson, said he had taken responsibility at the earliest opportunity.

"He deeply regrets getting into the vehicle ... it will have long-lasting consequences."

Judge Morris said his breath alcohol reading was 1095mcg.

"With a reading such as this ... you were placing yourself and others at risk."

She convicted him and sentenced him to nine months' supervision, ordered him to get a drug and alcohol assessment and counselling as directed.

He was indefinitely disqualified from driving.

Tony John Morris, of Te Ore Ore, was convicted of drink-driving and driving while suspended on Colombo Rd.

The 25-year-old was stopped by police on February 26 and was found to have 600mcg of alcohol per litre of breath.

He pleaded guilty to both charges.

Judge Morris fined him $600, $130 in court costs and disqualified him from driving for seven months.